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HOW TO PLAN A CONFERENCE

1. Planning – establish a conference planning team

First of all you will need to establish a conference planning team and determine the work required to carry out a successful conference. Have a team meeting where you assign a specific role to each team member, set tasks and timescales and targets with clear and measurable goals. Refer to your analysis notes from any conferences you have organised in the past – it’s important to copy the successes and learn from the mistakes.

In your team planning meeting you will also to agree your event objectives. Here are a few things you might want to consider:

• What is the aim of the conference – what would you like to achieve?
• What does your organisation want to achieve?
• Who are you trying to impress?
• Who are your target delegates?
• Who are your ideal sponsors and why would they come on board?
• What is your definition of success?

At the end of the team meeting you will need to agree dates for regular planning, update and review meetings.

2. Follow up & Schedule of Tasks

After the planning meeting you need to circulate the minutes to each team member with notes from the meeting detailing everyone’s role and goals. Include a schedule of tasks detailing all tasks, progress of these tasks and the deadline dates.

At each planning update and review meeting you will need to have an agenda based on the task schedule. Always take meeting notes and circulate them together with action required.

3. Organising the Conference

Conference Budget:
Set a budget and create a budget control document that contains revenue, expense and actual columns. Always include a contingency figure, usually about 10% of the estimated total.

Conference Programme:
Determine your objectives so that everyone involved in the planning and running of the conference is aware of what the conference is aiming to achieve. Take into account the expectations of the delegates and ensure that you will meet these expectations.

PR and Marketing plan:
Decide how to reach your target audience – consider advertising and promoting the conference in appropriate trade and members magazines and periodicals. Set up a basic website specifically for the event or add a new section on your current website with a link on your homepage.

Event Schedule:
Put together an event schedule and use it as a guide and a way of keeping track of all the tasks and milestones. Review constantly and have daily meetings with team members to track progress.

4. Employing and managing suppliers

As soon as the conference budget has been devised you can select your suppliers and set your requirements. It is important to consider the following points:

Venue:
When selecting your venue on needavenue.ie you should consider the following:

• Ask if the venue has an in-house event manager or dedicated conference liaison who will organise the venue staff and prioritise your conference
• Make sure that its main room is big enough to hold the delegates comfortably while maintaining a feeling of intimacy without feeling either claustrophobic or too spacious.
• Ensure that the venue has sufficient break-out, workshop and meeting rooms if required.
• Be sure that the range of facilities available in the venue matches the delegate’s recreation needs as well as the conference needs.
• Agree all costs to be incurred in writing with the venue
• Make sure there are enough rooms, of sufficient standard, for all delegates
• Agree discounted room rate for block booking rooms and supply a rooming list of all delegates as early as possible

PCO:
It might be a good idea to hire a Professional Conference Organiser or event management organisation to help you plan to the conference and manage delegate registration.

Audio Visual equipment and production: Sometimes the venue has sufficient resources but if you have very specific needs you may need to get an experienced specialist AV company who can manage your requirements - it is usual to collect quotes from at least three AV companies. Factor the impact of this into your budget.

Caterers:
Venues without catering facilities will require external caterers. Use our needavenue.ie directory to search for the best caterers to suit your conference needs. Many caterers will provide sample menus based on your budgetary constraints or delegate preferences.

Entertainment:
Try to book entertainers well in advance. Decide the effect you want to create and discuss at length with the entertainer so that everyone is clear on what’s expected. Put this in writing.

Transport:
Consider the most appropriate method of transport for delegates - from executive coaches to private luxury cars. Book these well in advance to ensure availability.

Delegate gifts:
Investigate the options for delegate gifts as soon as possible, consider something memorable such as locally produced crafts and pieces of art or a useful personal or business item with your company’s logo.

5. Managing the Conference

Document the procedures necessary for managing all the conference activities – consider all aspects of the following:

• Delegate registration
• Administration of transport arrangements
• Accommodation requirements and priority check-in/out management
• Meals and refreshments from arrival to departure
• Sponsor and exhibitor guidelines
• AV and photography requirements
• Company Branding guidelines
• Literature and branded stationary requirements
• Management of entertainment and speakers
• Break-out meeting and workshop room, equipment & logistical requirements
• Speaker sequence
• Time Management
• Finally, update your schedule constantly and hold regular team meetings to anticipate problems and track progress.

6. Post Conference Analysis

• Devise and distribute appropriate feedback forms for delegates, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors.
• Schedule a post conference meeting straight after the event and record feedback from team members, venue staff, event organisers and other suppliers where appropriate.
• Review the budget and settle all bills as soon as possible, where there are issues and queries, sort them out as amicably and fairly as possible.
• Evaluate the feedback forms and record the successes and failures while they are fresh in your mind.